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NHBPM No More

As intriguing as it might sound to blog every day for a month, I can’t do it. I’ll have to withdraw from the N… whatever those initials were. I’m too busy seeing doctors to have time to sit at my computer and blog about it every day.

Two doctor’s appointments today brought the year-to-date-total to 24. For an “otherwise healthy” person, that seems excessive. There will be more medical appointments, too, since I was given a referral for more physical therapy.

There will even be more appointments this week. Tuesday morning I’m headed to the hospital – a different one than last time – to see if they can break my gigantic stone into smaller chunks so that it and all its little friends can be evicted once and for all. I discovered that this doctor does electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL), rather than extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), so now I have a new research project since in reading about those I discovered that there are other methods of removing pancreatic duct stones. Maybe someday I can do a post about that, too. It’s been interesting to read about the different technology available.

The procedure needs to go as smoothly as all the literature predicts, because I’ll only have one day to recuperate. On Thursday I’m supposed to begin teaching swimming lessons. I’ve taught mid-level swim classes in the past, but this time I’ve been given a group of kids who don’t yet put their faces in the water. With any luck I can make it fun for them and get everyone paddling around before the end of the term. In my opinion, learning to swim is one of the most important things kids can do for their health and safety. Nobody’s likely to die if they can’t spell or add, but people can die from being unable to swim.

Friday I’m scheduled to have my biopsy. This is a re-schedule of the re-schedule and I’m ready to be done with it.

Quite the week! It’s not what I would plan if I could create my ideal week. When things like this come up, I make myself take a deep breath and count my blessings. There are places in the world without doctors. There are people without the means to pay for medical care if there were doctors available. Sure, it would be great to not have any problems with my health. It’s nice, though, to have the opportunity to see doctors when the need arises. For that, I’m thankful.

3 thoughts on “NHBPM No More”

Honestly, I admire your courage and your tenacity, Socks. This will indeed be a busy and challenging week for you. I wouldn’t worry a bit about not posting every day this month–it’s hard for anyone to do, let alone for someone with RA, a young family, another debilitating and painful medical condition, AND, by the way, a commitment to teach swimming lessons to children who are total beginners in the water. My hat’s off to you. May tomorrow’s procedure go swimmingly (sorry) and yes, the rest of the week, too. Will you then take the weekend off? Please?

Good luck with your procedure, Socks. I appreciate you giving me the idea to do the NHBPM blogging for 30 days. I am finding it quite a challenge too. Go teach swimming lessons! I am quite jealous, I would rather be swimming!